Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-02-17

Kate" said the doctor. This little fellow is
old enough now for YOU to take him home,
wherever that Is, ana have come TO see what
arrangements can be made"
IL have no home now" she said with
| little break In her voice.
But there must be some one. Come now,
my girl, tell me what you can. want to be
| your friend. You need one. heaven knowsl
There must be some One-the boys father"
"he Is nothing-nothng to me or to 1.-THE
cowardih she burst out with more feeling
than he had heard her express before.
But you must have some one to take care
OF YOU How are you To liveP
II did not want 10 live. They should have
let me die in the street that day; they had no
| right to touch mep'
'Hush" said DIR. Hepburn, sternly. 1--WE
should never question the DEGREES OF heaven.
| Every life has "A use OF its own else II would
not be given"
She laughed harshy: ''Usel What use is
my life now, the life of nameless outcastr
You have your child TO live for"
"Ahl" she breathed, with half sob in her
throat do you think have not thought OF
| himl How am to live through the shame OF
II when he grows older aud understands Bet
ter we should both die now, now before he
| grows ashamed OF his mother. One night this
| thought came to me as II some one had whis-
| pered IL In my ear. 1t was dark but seemed
| 10 feel the presence OF forms pointing at us
and whispering shame / can't tell YOU how
| terrible IL was The only way TO escape IL was
| to die-both Of US. I got up softly aud lit the
candle. l did not think how was To- do it,
| only In some way was 10 end our lives. All
| how afraid was of making noise that would
awaken hml l crept across TO the bed so soft
| IL. lifted pillow. Its weight on baby's
| face would stop its breathing so quickly; but
as l bent over the babe, | saw 1t was not
asleep 1t had been lling there quietly but its
! eyes were wide open. IL smiled up at me, and
for the first time reached towards me its arms.
Oh, how knelt there and kissed 1t and cried
over II That was the first lime / cried since
this trouble came to me, and 1t seemed To ease
the dull. aching pain In my heart. But let
| the candle burn all that night | was af aid
TO b. In the dark for fear of that emLtation
coming again. Do you think 1t ever willl"
Her cheeks were quite flushed and her eyes
wet as she clasped the child close to her and
appealed to the doctor.
"God bless me he calculated springing to
his feet and walking back and forth, the tears
| In his own honest, kindly eyes "God bless
me! What a scoundrel that man must be ~
Then he sat again beside her.
Where were YOU going when YOU took ILL"
Her face flushed: II was looking for him
He said once that his business was In the coal
region. When no letters came tried TO find
him. / walked from town To town, sometimes
sleeping in the woods. walked until would
get dizzy and drop with fatigue; but had no
time TO rest. Nv one thought wac to find him
in time, but the coal fields are so wlde-I new
er knew how wide beforer'
perhaps YOU can find him yet" ventured
the doctor. We might ADVERTISE
''Now," she answered mo; 1t was not for
myself only for the child, hut it is too latew
"You must think OF your future. II YOU
will not go home or find him, who will take
care of you and the child"
Il will. can work."
But where, aud what atf'
"Here; 1t is as good place as any other
there must be some work for woman here,
enough to keep us and pay these people. The
people seem buried here, shut of from the
rest OF the world That IS the best for me,
and can work at anything. Some one will
give me work, don't you think sol''
God bless me! hope So he answered. IL
-l'll try to fix 1t, but It's weary place, child,
and dreary life for you here"
MY life would he that any where it does
not matter"
And so it was settled. Sewing homework,
nursing, washing anything i'm the way Of
work she did well, and did cheaply for any
who won give her the chance, but she made
no friends and resented all overtures from tue
curious They knew no more Of her past now
than they did the day she came among them
Kate was the only name they knew her by.
Her boy she called Paul.
1T was my fathers NAME" she said to the
doctor. ''lle is dead. The disgrace cannot
hurt him"
The boy grew and thrived, but II was al.
most as quiet rs the mother, for II had no
The mothers of other children resented the ST.
lcncc So like pride in this tramp, and called
the children to their sides when the baby ma
lures would reach hands to each other all un-
knowing TO the social gulf between them
Even her Kindness To the sick won her no
hearts, for she did all so coldly though so well
Their sidelong, meaning glanccs when she first
met their faces with her child in her arms had
closed forever any sympathy between them.
The child she worshiped Her moody, gray
ha oil
only for him. and once, when fever among the
children laid little Paul low, the doctor was
startled by the wild grief of this girl who
seldom spoke among them.
BE quiet, Kate" he said, putting her in q
chair, "you must not give way like this, the
chances are that he will recover, but should
he not we must bow to that higher VIII; be
sure what will be, will be for the best"
''The best" and she laughed bitterly. "If
he were To die tonight you would try TO con-
sole me by saying 1t was best Don't You
know that this is punishment for that other
time when did not want hint And now
just when We have grown to be every thing To
each other You tell me II is Il mercifnl God
Who would part us People should love moth
ing IL they wish TO be happy, 1t brings curse
always. How can you understand Others
have husbands, homes, children. / have only
him-only him!' and she sank beside the little
bed in a passion OF sobs that were stlled only
by narcortic from the doctors hand.
But little Paul did not die, though the doc
tor was anxious for many DAYS and very
thankful when he cou'l safely say all danger
was past hate d.d not say much, 1t was as
IL she feared TO give voice to her joy lest the
pent up emotions would be beyond her con-
troll. But her glad eyes, as she kissed her boy
and pressed the doctors hand, held in them
more gratitude than words could express.
'You have done so much for me-" she said,
''and my life is so useless, all can do in re-
| turn seems so littlew
Tut, tut! If IT were nv boy Hall, You
would do rs much II you could; be good
| girl, that is all shall expect In payment, and
! in your gratitude for your boy, return thanks
only where they are due-to the Giver of all
| lifer'
He had in all things been her friend, and,
| sitting on the wooden step in the deepening
| dusk with the miners words still In her ears
! "a stray"-she dropped her face In her hands
| thinking; thinking OF his goodness since that
| first day, and then she let her memory wander
back over the hard, joyless toll among these
| people where only one voice had been helpful
and kind, back over dusty roads where she
| had dragged tired feet In a hopeless search,
back to the days when her girls heart had
| beat warmly ut the gift Of love to- which she
! responded with what she fancied was the last
| ing love OF her life and which she knew now
| was only the result of a starving soul In a
| chld's body, welcome ray OF light across
| the unoved, monotonous level OF her life, but
| a ray that was to sere and burn all the rose
tints OF youth into lifeless mass of ashes.
Lately knowledge had been creeping bit by
bit into her heart, and filling II with a supreme
contempt Of self. All how vile she was grow
ing in her own eyesl How often, lately, had
she freed her mind from the letters of the past
and let her thoughts wander where they would
in the sweet pastures Of a longed-for present!
How often she had checked herself on the
brink OF Wild hopes by muttcring bitterly: "a
tampa strayl A thing lower In his thoughts
than lost dog which he would shelter. A
log at least is faithful; am not even that.
A true woman's love should be the same al
| Ways NpUippt desertion nofhing ahoulu